The earliest records of traditional Polynesian tattoos have for many years been hidden away in museums and libraries. Now, as these institutions digitise their collections, the original "body art of the pacific" is being uncovered.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Indonesia's capital for high level discussions at the same time that Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith is in Jakarta shoring up bilateral ties.Radio Australia's Karon Snowdon reports.

The issue of asylum seekers is likely to dominate talks between Australian and Indonesian Defence Ministers. Last week, dozens of asylum seekers drowned en route to Australia, with Indonesian officials forced to admit their search and rescue capability was poor. Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith is in Jakarta.

The United States has announced an increased role for its navy in the Pacific, while at the same trying to reassure China that the region is big enough for both of them. At the annual Pacific Islands Forum, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a coastguard program to combat illegal fishing would be expanded to include the American navy.

The Committee for the Economic Development of Australia has published a report warning that 'superficial arguments' over coal seam gas are pitting farmers and environmentalists against the miners to the detriment of the country.